Rebecca Wood and Michael Schudson(Rebecca Wood is a student at UCSD. Michael Schudson teaches at UCSD andis the author of The Good Citizen: A History of American Civic Life.)

As the Florida election debacle played itself out and the SupremeCourt finally settled the presidency by a one-vote margin, the nationgrew more cynical about our electoral system. It became painfullyobvious that our antiquated voting system is in need of massiveoverhaul. But, at this time of national embarrassment, nearly 600 SanDiego County high school seniors, participating in a Registrar ofVoters-sponsored effort made possible by a l996 state law, served asofficial poll workers and received a first-hand lesson in civics. Ironically, despite the Florida mess, the experience actuallyreaffirmed students' faith in the system. "I was honored to do thisand I felt like I was helping our country in some small way," said asenior from Julian High School who was one of over 200 who returnedquestionnaires to the Registrar. Most students saw the opportunity to work at the polls as a positiveand interesting experience. The students worked the same hours andperformed the same tasks as other poll workers and they or their highschool student organizations were paid $60 for their l5-hour days,the same as adult clerks at the polls. But the long hard day did notdiscourage them, as 93% said that they would recommend participatingin the Student Poll Worker Program to other students. "It was a newexperience, where I got to participate in something that was soimportant to our country," a student from Julian High School wrote. Students were surprised at the variety of people who showed up tovote on Election Day. A student from El Capitan High said what sheliked best about the experience was "seeing a 91 year old man whocouldn't walk or speak come in to vote because he cared." Most of the seniors felt like they were doing something important. "Iwas a part of history. Now I know how the election process works andI have a deeper respect for the American government," said a studentfrom Covenant Christian High School. Although most students liked the experience, lots of respondentscomplained that the day was too long and should be broken intoshifts. A fifteen-hour day sitting in a cold garage with only twol5-minute breaks and 45 minutes for lunch was too much. Some studentssaid what they liked least was the boring "dead time," when nobodycame in to vote. Florida wasn't the only place having mechanical voting problems. Onestudent complained that four of the voting deviceskept breaking and were useless because of it and another student said thatthe voting devices were not stable, with the stylus breaking off of thechain. A few students said that some people had difficulty locating theirprecincts, or had to be turned away when they went to the wrong one. Perhaps witnessing this exercise in democracy showed our systemsshortcomings, but it also worked to instill an appreciation for theprocess that elects the president. In fact 98% of the surveyrespondents said that the experience made them more likely to vote infuture elections. Most students realized, especially in the days following November 7,what a historic event this Election Day was. The 2000 presidentialelection has taught us all the importance of each vote. And althoughthe Supreme Court was the ultimate arbiter this time, everyone knowsthe difference between Bush and Gore came down to just a couplehundred votes in Florida. Memory of the closeness of the election mayhelp reduce voter apathy in the future. Students gained a sense of taking part in a distinctly Americanexperience. Working the polls was important in inculcating a sense ofcitizenship as the students experienced one of the basic rights weare guaranteed. And perhaps because most of the participatingstudents were seniors, l7 years old and close to – but not quite at-- voting age, they were especially sensitive to how significant thatright is. In fact, many acknowledged that voting is a "privilege." "It taught me a lot about the democratic process and I value it verymuch," said a student from Rancho Bernardo High. The students’ observations were surprisingly free of cynicism. Duringthe long count in Florida, the media frequently reported peoplecomplaining about our electoral system, its complexity, the varietyof states’ election rules, the margin of error of the variousvoting devices, and voter ignorance. “We're supposed to be showing othercountries how to run elections and we can't even run our own!” was acommon complaint. Florida was the butt of jokes for weeks. But studentswho participated as poll workers generally had few complaints about ourimperfect system. If the students learned a civics lesson, society at large can, too.More than half a century ago, America’s most celebrated philosopherof education, John Dewey, wrote that in his vision of Utopia, therewould be no schools. Dewey believed that in the long run societyneeded not schools but “a faith in the capacity of the environment tosupport worthwhile activities.” The Registrar of Voters found a waylast November to enhance the environment for worthwhile activities.What students learned from working the polls Election Day will likelylinger in their minds longer than any classroom rhetoric on theimportance of voting.

"Most Californians register to vote not because a political cause has touched their heart, but rather because they checked a box on a form at the Department of Motor Vehicles when they received or renewed their driverís license."